One day, Jesus Christ will come back just as He left. The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise. (1 Thessalonians 4:16) In the meantime, the Body of Christ, the Church, all believers, are called and commanded to “Go,” or more literally, “as you are going”. Our themes for the last five weeks have challenged us to learn what it means to Be, to Forgive, to Serve, to Give, and finally, to Go. Going. Perhaps this is the challenge that brings the most conviction and guilt as a result of failing to live out this command to make disciples who make disciples as we go. (Matthew 28:18-19). It’s not a secret that the Church in the U.S. needs to be revived, renewed, and re-motivated (excited) to follow Jesus’ command “as we go.”

Where do we begin? That’s our focus today. We need eyes to see what Jesus shows us and ears to hear what He is telling His Church as we learn what it means to Go as His ambassadors.

Matthew 9:35-38

The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Pity of the Harvest (v. 36a)

Potential of the Harvest (v. 37a)

Problem of the Harvest (v. 37b)

Prayer of the Harvest (v. 38)